THOU SWELL - Free Jazz Leadsheet

“thou swell” was written by Richard Rodgers (music) and Lorenz Hart (lyrics) for the 1927 musical *A Connecticut Yankee*. The song was first published in 1927. Its lyrics blend archaic, courtly language (“thou,” “wilt”) with contemporary slang, reflecting the musical’s time-traveling premise between medieval and modern settings.

The first recorded version was by The Broadway Nitelites conducted by Ben Selvin, with vocals by Franklyn Baur, around 1928. “Thou Swell” has since become a jazz standard, interpreted by Blossom Dearie, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, and many others. Its performance often alternates between vocal renditions of Hart’s witty, romantic text and instrumental versions that highlight Rodgers’ graceful, dance-like melody. Structurally, it follows the popular song forms of its era but its melodic charm and harmonic sophistication give it lasting appeal in both Broadway and jazz contexts.